The Washington critic., 1887-05-19
sy- THE CRITIC is for sale in New York by
Brentano & Co., Union Square.
WASHINGTON. MAY 10, 1887.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS cRAsKs

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS CRANKS
Mr.. William Euclid Young of New
York, who signs himself Secretary of
the Committee of the Christopher Co.
lumbus Exposition of 1892" whatever
that may be, has published pamphlet
entitled How to Celebrate the Four
Hundredth Ann.v .rsary Of the Dis.
covery OF America" and addressed it
ITO the Biltors of the Press of the
United States" for their kindly consid-
Grafton. Mr.. Young, besides being
Secretary, sc, ," informs us in mar
ginal note that he has be~h = member
of The New York Stock Exchange since
1850 and an active broker in Wall street
since 1903; and for his ability to pro
mote" SO large nn enterprise as the
"World's Ftir for 1892 he refers us to
the banks of New York and to the
eleven hundred members Of the Stock
Exchange. This much by the way of
an advertisement.
The pamphlet opens In the following
unique and extraordinary style;
In this age of utilltariinisn OF invention
ard enterprise when nations and individuals
of every civilized portion OF the globe com
pete with each other in giving time, money
and the best thoughts Of ingenious, scientific
and cultivated minds to draw together the
lines which within so shON a time, made the
world 5, en so vast, so impenetrabc, but to-
day, by the might of two of the greatest pow
ers made applicable to the use of man,
IL. a -
power-by these two aids OF human progress,
for which the world is indebted to the genius
of our own countrymen-all Is changed, and
distance and space are overcome, as 1t were,
and 1t would now seem that In this particular
the acme of invention had been reached,
1t is to be hoped, for the sake of his
customers. that Mr.. Young Is better
manipulation of stocks than he is Of the
English language; otherwise, q "Chris-
topher Columbus Exposition" or any
other enterprise that he might under
take,to promote, would soon be involved
in hopeless complexity.
But what is Mr.. Young's plan for
celebrating, as he calls It in another
place, "The Four-hundredth Birth.
Year of Our Great and Free Repub.
lie ?'' He says:
We would suggest that subscription book
be opened at your Offices for sums of 81 and
upward, and when the amount subscribed
would seem to warrant success the manage.
ment would be placed In the hands of an
executive committee of twenty-five we'll
known and trustworthy gentlemen of New
York city. Then with liberal appropriation
from the Government of the United States
and other States of this continent, we feel as
sured that the balance of the sum required
could easily be raised by the issue of bonds
upon which, without doubt, a fair percentage
could be paid, and the principal redeemed
from the revenue which the entrance fee
would YIELD and also from the renting of
space to exhibitors from all part of the world,
many. Of whom are already registering their
names for space, that they may have first
choice as soon as the different buildings are
complete.
Itwould further appear that although
the undertaking is in such an incipient
stage that not the faintest vestige of a
guarantee fund Is yet In sight, 1t is still
so much foregone conclusion that
Exhibitors are already registering
heir names for Space" but the con-
soling assurance Is given that no de-
post for rentals will be demanded
until the I'd of January, 1892 Mr..
Young Is no less considerate of the
pocket books of his exhibitors than he
Is enthusiastic In his calculations Of the
revenues of the show, for, estimating
that II only one half of our sixty millions
of population make but one visit to
the Exposition, that, he says, with
mathematical exactness, would yield q
payment from thirty million persons.
The price of admission is not stated,
but at half dollar head the receipts
would, of course, be equal to Sl5,-
0O0,0tO.
This -Four hundredth Birthday" Is
of course to be celebrated In New York
as the only city which combines all
the elements of suitability for such Q
purpose" but of this Mr.. Young will
be better able to judge by the number
Of dollar subscriptions he takes In
through the newspaper offices, and by
the amount which the Government oil
the United States and of the several
States may conclude to appropriate.
Seriously, this scheme is the veries,
moonshine, and reads more like a bur.
lesque than like sober. minded, bust
ness proposition. If the New Yorker:
really propose to have an Exposition il
1902, they will go TO work in very
different way to bring it about. /
must be borne In mind, however, tha
the National and International Cele
bration Of the Discovery Of America bj
Columbus Is TO be held at Washington
undert the auspices of the General Gov
ernment, and as the foundation of I
Permanent, Exposition, This much i
settled.
The Republican organs that are de
ploring the death of Justice Wood
because Of the opp Irtunity with whiol
the President is thus presented to ap
point Democrat 10 the Bench are re
minded by the New York Ereaia,
Post that IL was Mr. Hayes who ap
pointed David NJ. Key to the United
States District Court In Tennessee,
man who not only served In the CDu